NYSACC, MSWAB set first NYC conference linking conservation and zero waste

The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions and the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board will hold a two-day conference Oct. 29-30 at Cornell Tech in New York City. The event is designed to connect conservation goals with zero waste infrastructure, technology and financing, with NYC Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson and Closed Loop Partners’ Ron Gonen among the featured speakers.

Why it matters: - New York City and New York State have set environmental goals that depend on more than policy. - The conference is meant to focus on the infrastructure, technology, investment and expertise needed to turn zero-waste targets into measurable conservation results. - The event brings together public agencies, researchers, technology companies, operators, investors and nonprofits in one forum.

What happened: - The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions, or NYSACC, and the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board, or MSWAB, will host a two-day 2026 NYSACC Conference on the Environment. - Panels are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island in New York City. - Optional field trips are planned for Thursday, Oct. 29, to NYC conservation and sustainability projects. - The conference theme is "Conservation through Zero Waste in NYC + NYS: Leveraging AI, Technology and Infrastructure to Make Zero Waste Possible." - Featured speakers include New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson and Closed Loop Partners founder and CEO Ron Gonen.

The details: - The agenda includes sessions on AI-enabled sorting and robotics. - Other sessions will cover municipal recycling infrastructure and emerging technologies. - The program will also address materials management and conservation, textile-to-textile recycling, organics and composting systems, environmental monitoring and data, and waste auditing and resource recovery. - The conference will include hands-on technology demonstrations and innovation showcases at an Innovation Pavilion. - Confirmed participants also include Tom Outerbridge, president of East MRF Operations at Circular Services. - Other confirmed speakers include Kathryn Walker, executive director of the Center for Sustainable Materials Management at SUNY ESF. - Leaders and experts from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are scheduled to participate. - Additional participants include Stony Brook University, AMP, WeRadiate, RecycleGO and Helpsy. - More public-sector, industry and technology leaders will be announced.

Between the lines: - The conference is a sign that the conservation and waste-reduction worlds are trying to align around implementation, not just goals. - The emphasis on AI, robotics and financing suggests the organizers want to move the conversation toward deployable systems and scale. - Holding the event in New York City for the first time gives the conference a more urban focus and puts local waste systems at the center of the discussion. - NYSACC Chair Simon Skolnik said the conference's New York City debut is an exciting moment for the organization. - MSWAB leaders said collaboration between policymakers, operators, technologists and financiers is needed to make environmental commitments real.

What's next: - The field trips on Oct. 29 will give attendees a look at conservation and sustainability projects across New York City. - The main conference panels and demonstrations will take place Oct. 30 at Cornell Tech. - Additional speakers and participants are still expected to be announced. - Conference inquiries can be sent to conference@nysacc.org.

The bottom line: - NYSACC and MSWAB are using their first New York City conference to tie zero-waste strategy to the practical systems needed to deliver it.